'Nikita' star: 'Fans want evil Amanda'

Melinda Clarke has suggested that fans want her Nikita character Amanda to be "evil".

Speaking to TV Guide, the actress explained that viewers love it when Amanda shows her dark side.

"They really want Amanda to be truly evil," she said. "That's the fan response - we need her to be as bad as possible and to be really evil. At one point someone asked for some violence."

However, Clarke admitted that she doesn't think of Amanda as a villain.

"That could be the kiss of death, to play a character as a bad guy," she said. "That's when things get unrealistic. Amanda is responsible for training these recruits to the best of their ability. If that means a little bit of torture, then so be it."

Clarke also suggested that there must be a reason for Amanda's behavior, saying: "I think to do what Amanda does, she's gone through so much that she's desensitised, more than most. She might be operating on a completely different psychological level than most people. I think Amanda's motivations just go deeper. It could be an abusive background, it could be truly ego, or maybe she's just a little bit off and on lithium."